Multiple hop radio networks typically comprise a master device or node which stores a routing table of the links between the master device and slave devices or nodes. Such networks have been found to be difficult to install and configure in an optimum manner. Complete knowledge of the network and its loading is usually essential. Also it has been necessary to preprogram into a slave device every anticipated communication path that a user of the slave device may require. Thus the quality of a network and its installation is dependent on the competency of the installer. Further any message being passed across the network to the master device from the outset needs to contain all of the addressing and routing information for the message to complete its route which in the case of several hops means that a data packet is long because of the need to include the addresses of all the slave nodes lying on the virtual route. In the field of low power data transmission it is known that shorter messages can be relayed more reliably across a network than longer messages. If the network changes, for example by the addition or removal of slave nodes, then information about these changes and their effects on the routing table have to be entered regularly on all the nodes. If a defined route fails due a slave node becoming defective then any slave nodes downstream of the affected slave node are orphaned until the problem is rectified by repairing the defective slave node or by allocating new routes the quality of which relies on an installer knowing the route to the respective slave devices.
As a consequence of these shortcomings multiple hop radio networks have not been widely used.
However with the advent of low cost radio solutions to many control and monitoring networks the interest in such networks is growing especially if the known shortcomings can be overcome.